Sun and Moon
by ssilversong
Summary: An unexpected love grew through the years and now is the only time it can be confessed.


**A**pollo never liked this feeling. But it was there. The warmth that blossoms in his chest every time he looks at her shining in the moonlight. The skipping of a beat of his heart every time he sees her lock her eyes on her target before shooting her silver arrow. However hard he try, he just can't stop loving her twin sister.

"Well, one thing I can assure you with, I did not shoot you an arrow for you to love her," Eros told him.

"I know that," Apollo sighed. He went to Eros, the god of love, hoping he could tell him what to make of his feelings, "Should I tell her?"

"If you want her not to talk to you forever, you should. You know her more than anyone, Apollo. She's the goddess of the hunt and chastity and she hates men the most."

"It's not that true. There was that hunter, Orion," he grimaced.

"Artemis saw him as a hunter, a worthy competition. Not a man."

"Am I not a worthy competition, too? I am as good as that Orion, in fact, I am sure I'm better in all ways! Why can't I spend time with her like she did with him? It's like she doesn't care for me."

"We both know that she cares for you, Apollo. Must I remind you with the incident with Daphne?"

He had a point, Apollo thought. When Eros got annoyed with Apollo once, he shot him to make her fall for Daphne. He became obsessed and chased Daphne everywhere. The port girl can't stand him and prayed to her father that she be turned to a tree. For days, for weeks, Apollo wept beside her tree and played the saddest melodies. All that time, Artemis comforted him. She always made sure to visit him and bring him food and a bit of reprimand. She even went to Eros to ask for help. She truly cared for her brother.

"But I do not want her to care for me like an elder sister. I…I want her to see me beyond that. I can't stand not knowing what could happen if ever…if ever I told her that I love her."

"Then I suggest you tell her your feelings. You may get rejected, you may even get a beating…but at least you would have a peace of mind," Eros grinned at him. "Unless you want me to shoot her, eh?"

"No." Apollo hastily replied. "Never try to do that."

A long stretch of silence followed afterwards. Too much was at stake, but his feeling have been bothering him for a very long time. It was time to settle things. He left Eros and flew under the night sky. It was full moon and he knew exactly where Artemis will be. He reached her near her forest, just as he expected where she will be. She was sitting by the cliff, her feet dangling on the empty space. Her eyes were closed, her head lifted as she reveled the moonlight shining upon her. She always looked so stunningly gorgeous every time she appears this way. Apollo felt his heart racing, he can't believe he could still fall deeper in love with her.

"I hope you're not here just to stand there, little brother."

Of course she'd notice him arriving without opening her eyes. She was not the goddess of the hunt for nothing.

"I'm older than you, Arty."

She finally opened her eyes just to roll it at him, "I helped mother to give birth to you. And stop calling me Arty."

"There is something I want to tell you," Apollo started as he sat beside Artemis as close as possible.

"Hm?"

"It isn't really about how majestic your form is when you pull your bow before shooting a prey. It isn't even about how glorious you look when you sit here, basking in the moonlight's glow…"

"Apollo. What are you talking about?"

He held her hand, refusing to let go, "Let me speak, please. I fear I may not be able to tell you these things another time. I can't help it, Artemis. I tell myself over an dover again how it is wrong to feel this way, but when I try to stop myself, it just grow deeper. Whenever I see how you look concerned for me at every dilemma I had in my lifetime, I feel both joy and pain. Joy that I know you care for me so much, and pain because I realize how you could not care for me beyond that," he lifted her hand to his chest, just above his heart, "Here, I feel something I never felt before. Such true emotions I never felt with any other woman, just with you. Artemis, I love you. I love you more than a brother would with his sister."

Artemis pulled away, but Apollo saw no disgust on her face. Only surprise, and a bit of fear.

"Apollo, I would forget you said all those things. Just please, snap out of it."

"No, I don't want you to forget I said them. I don't expect for you to return my feelings…I just want you to know how much I care and how much I love you. And I want you to know how every single day, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you."

Artemis turned away from him. Now he's done it. She might never talk to him again, ever. But it brought him peace that she now knew how he feels about her.

"When you fell for that Daphne, I watched with disgust how you chased her like a hungry dog," she suddenly started. "I swore to myself I would make fun of you when you fail to woo her. But when I saw you beside her tree, heartbroken and lonely, I wished badly that I could heal your pain. I hated Daphne even more so. Remember when you also tried to win the hand of Hestia? I don't know then why, but I hated disliked her then. It's just lately that I realize why I feel these things," she turned to him, her eyes shining much brighter than the moon above, "It must be somewhere back then, I also fell."

Apollo closed the distance between them, his hand cupping her face, the other holding her close. He placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"But, Apollo, I cannot give you what other women can. I am a goddess first before I am my own. Chastity is the virtue I hold, I shall remain pure as I am forevermore."

"I do not want you for your body, Artemis," he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers, "I want you for your heart. For your love."

"You do not have to want it," this time, she kissed him on his lips, "You already own it."

*** The End ***


End file.
